Job - Part 4

A perspective on the book of Job – part 4 – The second Test

So far, we have learned that Job is “the greatest man among the people of the east” (Job 1:5). We have also learned that Satan came to the Lord and the Lord offered to remove His protection from everything Job has, proving to Satan that Job will still be faithful to the Lord. So, Job lost his oxen, his sheep, his camels, his children, and many of his servants, but still he is faithful to the Lord.

In Chapter 2, the setting is again in heaven where “the angels present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them” (Job 2:1). Again, the Lord asks where Satan comes from and again Satan replies he has been roaming the earth.  I think this is very important for two reasons. Apparently, Satan appearing before the Lord is remarkable or it would not be specifically mentioned.  Also, we need to remember that Satan is consistently roaming the earth.

Again, Satan seems to be claiming the people of the earth as his own, when the Lord points out Job. “And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin his without any reason” (Job 2:3). Now Satan is getting frustrated. He is losing the challenge here, and doesn’t like it. So, he claims that if the Lord should allow damage to Job’s person, Job would curse the Lord. And the Lord allows Satan to affect Job’s person, but not his life.

I can only say, that I would love to have the confidence of the Lord to this extent, but I really would not want to prove it this way. For Satan afflicted Job with sores (some say boils) from his head to his feet such that he would scrape his body into the ashes with broken pottery.  In my mind, I picture something similar to chicken pox. Sores that itch and ache and would require continues scratching and scraping. Job’s wife even says, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). Job tells his wife she is foolish. “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? (Job 2:10).

There. That last line. That is the crux of the issue. We want to praise the Lord in the good times. We want to presume He will bless us always. But in the hard times, we cry to Him in anguish, and yet, we should still praise Him. There is an old song that says:

Thank you for the trials, if it will bring me close to you,

and help me Lord to smile, when things don’t go the way I want them to.

And if I suffer pain, help me that I don’t complain,

but thank you Lord and praise you just the same. *

Personally, I find it difficult to praise the Lord in times of trouble or pain. However, I have found that if I worship Him at my lowest, He will lift me beyond my highest imagination. It is my prayer that I would be worthy of the trust of my Lord, and so would you.

NOTE: All bible references for this part are from the New International Version (NIV).

* “Praise you Just the Same” Evie Tornquist-Karlsson; recorded by Sandi Patti on “For My Friends. Available on YouTube.

Job - part 3

A perspective on the book of Job – part 3 – Testing Job

So far, we have learned that Job is “the greatest man among the people of the east” (Job 1:5). We have also learned that Satan came to the Lord and the Lord offered to remove His protection from everything Job has, proving to Satan that Job will still be faithful to the Lord.

Now, there is feasting and wine drinking at the house of the oldest brother. Since we learned in 1:6 that the brothers took turns hosting the feasting, so we can presume it was the eldest’s turn. In 1:15, we find that the Sabeans have attacked and carried off Job’s five hundred yoke (remember that a yoke is a pair, so that’s 1,000 oxen) and killed all the servants save the one who came to report to Job, who 

was apparently not with the children.

Yet another servant came and reported that the seven thousand sheep and the tending servants have been burned by fire from the sky, saving only the one who came to report. And then, yet another servant came to say that three raiding parties of Chaldeans carried off the three thousand camels and killed all the servants save the one who came to report (Job 1:17). Then another came and reported that a mighty wind collapsed the house where the children were feasting and all died save the one who came to report. 

WOW!  In one fell swoop, during the course of dinnertime, Job lost his oxen, his sheep, his camels, and his children.  This leaves him with 500 donkeys, a handful of servants, and no children. At that, he tore his robe and shaved his head (normal routine for Shiva). Then came the classic verse:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart”

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

May the name of the Lord be praised. (Job 1:21)

Honestly, I don’t have that kind of faith or fortitude. Job did not sin nor turn away from the Lord in the least. He did not blame the Lord. I had a baby and husband die ten weeks apart, and I blamed the Lord for years. I believed that a God who would allow such a thing must hate me. Job, however, represents that those of us who go through the greatest trials do so because God has faith in us. Mother Teresa said, “I know God will never give me more than I can handle, but sometimes, I wish he did not have so much faith in me.” I’m no Mother Teresa, but there have been times I felt the same. 

When a trial comes, are we able to say: “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord”?  It is not easy to praise and worship during times of crisis, but the comfort that comes in doing so leads to that “peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

NOTE: All bible references for this part are from the New International Version (NIV).

For more information about Shiva, go to https://www.shiva.com.

Job - Part 2

A perspective on the book of Job – part 2 – The Lord speaks with Satan

Remember that in part 1, we are introduced to Job as a good man who holds tightly to his faith, honors the Lord, and sacrifices for his children just in case they have sinned.  Now, in part 2, my bible labels this section as “Job’s First Test.” I don’t think we will get into the test part just yet, but let us take a look, starting with chapter 1, verse 6.

The setting of this section is heaven, the throne of God. For me, this evokes images of grandeur. I see the Lord, sitting on a throne of gold, surrounded by beauty on all sides. Then, according to Job 1:6, “The angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came with them.” With my military background, I picture the angels reporting in much as we would to our commander. However, while we would stand at attention and salute (if outdoors), I suspect most of the angels would bow in submission to the Lord. Satan, however, was proud, and stood tall.

For just a moment, let us consider Satan. Isaiah, Luke, and Revelation all speak of Satan’s expulsion from heaven. Stories abound of his desire to be as powerful as the Lord, and how he was removed from the corps of angels and how others went with him. They were given charge over hell and the Earth.  What a concept. We must never forget that dark angels as well as light angels wander the Earth in search of people to recruit. A graphic and dynamic series of fiction was written by Frank Perretti, and of course, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis also depict the actions of dark angels in our lives.  But, we must return to the moment in Job, when Satan appears with the angels before the Lord.

In Job 1:7, “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’” Now, I think that question is inserted here for the benefit of us who are reading it and for the other angels. If, as I believe and have been taught, the Lord is omniscient, there is no need for such as question, as He knows the answer.  We, however, need to be aware of the answer – that Satan is roaming back and forth through the earth.  This is an important thought. Satan is alive and well and roaming through the earth. We see him every day in our news stories, and unfortunately, in our lives. The story of Job tells of what Satan can do, and that should be enough to frighten anyone.

The Lord Himself holds up Job as an example of one who is “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8).  But Satan accuses the Lord of protecting Job and his household and blessing the work of his hands. Satan claims if all were stricken from Job, “he will surely curse you to your face” (Job 1:11).  So, the Lord releases everything Job has to Satan, protecting only the man Job 

himself.  “Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord” (Job 1:12).

There are a lot of things to consider in this passage. Between Job 1:6 and through Job 1:12, we are exposed to a very real place we consider Heaven, the abode of the Lord. We see the Lord in his role as King, receiving audience from the angels, and presumably receiving reports and giving assignments. We recognize that Satan is not supposed to be there, and that the Lord is communicating directly with him. From this, we can reckon that the Lord will speak to whom He will. We need to remember that the Lord can protect us, and can remove His protection as well. Personally, I cannot imagine ever being good enough for the Lord to use as an example of piety. I can only talk to Him, listen for Him, and hope I am hearing His guidance.

NOTE: All bible references for this part are from the New International Version (NIV).

Job - part 1

A friend drew my attention to the book of Job recently. As I read, I thought to make note of some of my thoughts and perspectives. I do not know if I will complete the book, nor the thoughts, but this is a start.

A perspective on the book of Job – part 1 – Intro

[Note: this is just my reading and perspective, nothing more and nothing less.]

Job 1:1 starts with the land of Uz.  So, where is the land of Uz? A variety of sources seem to agree that the land of Uz is on the east coast of what is now Saudi Arabia, the west coast of the Gulf of Aqaba (a northern inlet of the Red Sea). That, in itself, is significant. Why? Because that area is rife with riches and desolation. The Gulf of Aqaba stretches north from the Red Sea from a junction of the Gulf of Suez which leads west to the Suez Canal – a point which has been a transit of merchants for millennia. So, Uz, is just on the northwest of where the Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aqaba – a rich area for merchants.

“This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and sunned evil” (NIV, Job 1:2). This establishes the goodness of this man. The element of the goodness of this man is particularly important because Job follows Esther in the Old Testament. Remember that in Esther, a few good people (particularly Esther and Mordecai) were able to rescue the Jews from the evil of Haman and the enemies of the Jews – but that is another study. The point is that there are evil people and good people in the world. The book of Job does not tell us why or how people are evil or good, but certainly guides us in our own steps.

Job 1:3 details the wealth and riches of the man both familial and financial. Further, it specifically states that, “He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.  WOW! The Bible seldom uses superlatives. More often, things are referred to as good, or even very good. This time, however, Job is the greatest!

Job’s religiosity is confirmed in verses 4-5 where the wealth and health of his children are celebrated with feasting and followed it with purification. Each day, he offered sacrifices, just in case one of them had sinned “and cursed God in their hearts.” Again, WOW! While I cannot speak for anyone else, I know I have made utterances that use the Lord’s name. I know that in my past, I have been angry with and cursed God. To think, that in these first five verses, we have been presented with someone this good, this pure sets us up to believing he deserves only the best.